Yaki imo, or roasted sweet potato, is a beloved Japanese snack. Although it may seem like a simple food, this little treat is packed with flavor and nutrition. If you’re looking for a delicious and healthy snack, yaki imo is the perfect option!
Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are also low in calories and fat. Yaki imo is a delicious way to enjoy all the benefits of sweet potatoes.
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How is Yaki Imo made?
To make yaki imo, sweet potatoes are roasted over an open flame. This gives them a slightly smoky flavor that is irresistible. The potatoes are then peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Yaki imo can be enjoyed as is, or dipped in a variety of sauces. They are perfect for sharing with friends or family.
Yaki imo has a delicate and sweet flavor that pairs well with savory dishes. If you’re looking for a tasty and healthy snack, try yaki imo! You won’t be disappointed.
The Japanese Love Yaki Imo
I personally prefer fried sweet potato, but it’s amazing the popularity of Yaki Imo, despite being something so simple and easy to make. It resembles the sale of boiled corn in Brazil.
In Japan, of the 810,000 tons of sweet potatoes produced in 2015, about 60,000 tons were consumed as Yaki Imo.
Besides the sweetness and aroma, the great popularity of roasted sweet potatoes is due to their very low price. There is even a saying that 10 months of work allows you to buy sweet potatoes for the rest of your life.
It was around the 17th century that roasted sweet potatoes began to gain popularity in Japan, first in Ryukyu, then in Honshu, soon roasted sweet potatoes were sold in the suburbs of Kyoto.
Unfortunately, this type of food has lost its massive popularity in recent decades after industrialization and the emergence of other tasty and cheap foods.
Types of Yaki Imo
There are other ways to prepare Yaki Imo besides grilling over coals, see some preparation options and types of yaki imo below:
Ishi Yaki Imo
Ishi Yaki Imo [石焼き芋] is usually roasted on a hot stone and found in small carts.
The sweet potatoes are buried in heated pebbles and roasted by indirect heating. There are several ways to grill with stone, some Beni Azuma, Naruto Kintoki, and Beni Otome.
Vendors usually call out with a pattern like “Ishiyaiimo oimo” or use a whistle that sounds like Po and Piyo. Today it is easy to find at the doors of shops and convenience stores.
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Tsuboyaki Imo
Tsuboyaki Imo is a potato made by the Tsuboyaki cooking method, which consists of placing ingredients in a deep ceramic pot shaped like a tsubo, sealing it, and cooking it over fire.
This is a cooking technique of Russian origin, usually used with shellfish and other vegetables. It is rare to find places that sell only Tsuboyaki Imo.
Other types of sweet potato
Kamadoyaki is a type of Japanese sweet potato steamed in a flat, shallow pot with a wooden lid.
In some Asian countries, such as China and Korea, sweet potatoes are also often roasted in a side drum over bricks, this type of cooking is called Doramukan-yaki.
It is also common to sell frozen cooked sweet potatoes to be heated at home. In markets, we also find Yaki Imo made in electric or conventional ovens.
How to find Yaki Imo?
Japanese sweet potatoes are sold at street events, some fixed locations like supermarkets, and also in food trucks.
Yaki Imo is usually announced through a song and by the vendor who shouts in a long tone yaki imoooooo. It’s really something unique!
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